The Witcher: Fire and Blood
by Angry lil' elf
Summary: During the Sack of Kings Landing, an infant Aegon and toddler Rhaenys are spirited away to another world where they each live their own lives. Aegon is raised as a Witcher before reuniting with Rhaenys and they go back to Westeros. Shitty summary, just have a read and enjoy :-D Rated M for Witcher and GoT content.
1. Prologue: Mirror, Mirror

The Witcher: Fire & Blood

 _Prologue: Mirror, Mirror._

…

 **Kings Landing. The Red Keep. Princess Elia Martell's chambers.**

Elia could hear the screams of the dying floating up to her window like a macabre symphony. Tywin Lannister, the Lion of Casterly Rock had finally made his move in the Rebellion. His forces were sacking, plundering and pillaging the city. The screams of the smallfolk as they were butchered and raped by Lannister soldiers could be heard. Aerys Targaryen the Mad King had opened the city gates thinking that Tywin had come to save them, hoping that their friendship of old had been rekindled and together they would crush the Usurper Robert Baratheon. Instead, Tywin had ordered his forces to start sacking the city.

If only Aerys had listened to Varys, the eunuch spymaster, to not open the city gates, if he had listened to Ser Jaime Lannister of the Kingsguard to surrender peacefully, but instead Aerys chose to listen to that grey sunken cunt Grand Maester Pycelle who suggested he open the gates to Tywin.

" _You can trust the Lannisters. They've always been friends of the crown."_

Elia could still hear the voice of that lecherous old man and she wished she had strangled the cunt before he could even give his suggestion.

But, now the city was being sacked and its citizenry butchered and raped. Elia had sequestered herself and her children in her private chambers. Ser Jaime said he would protect them as Rhaegar had asked him. The thought of Rhaegar was sour on Elia's mind.

"Fucking Rhaegar…" the Dornish princess whispered bitterly. If Rhaegar hadn't met Lyanna Stark and run off with her, then her father and brother might never have been so brutally executed and Robert Baratheon might never have rose up in rebellion.

Elia's uncle, a Kingsguard like Jaime, had gone down into the city to bolster what soldiers they had and although her uncle was a fearsome fighter in his own right, Elia feared that this would her uncle's last battle.

The cries of Aegon brought Elia out of her melancholy and she walked over to the cradle to pick up the infant and held her son to her breast. Upon his only son's birth, Rhaegar had declared that Aegon's song would be the song of ice and fire and played his harp for his son. Fucking Rhaegar… obsessed with the Prophecy of the Prince That Was promised. Elia didn't doubt that Aegon would grow to be a fine man and one day, a good king, she just didn't buy into that prophecy her husband was so obsessed with.

Elia's child, Rhaenys Targaryen, sat on the large bed. "Momma? What's happening outside?" Rhaenys possessed her father's purple-blue eyes, but her hair and skin were of Dornish colour, dark and olive.

"It's nothing, my sweet," Elia said to her daughter sadly. "Go to sleep, my child. It'll all be over soon," she whispered.

"Can't sleep," Rhaenys mumbled.

"I can't sleep either," Elia chuckled as she walked to sit on the edge of the bed beside her daughter, Aegon whimpered unhappily and Elia almost wept at the thought of losing her two children. Again, Elia cursed Rhaegar for running away with Lyanna Stark.

Then a smooth voice was heard.

"Good evening…"

Elia looked up to see a bald man standing in the doorway. Her first thought that it was the Spider Varys visiting her, but she discounted it immediately as the man in the doorway looked nothing like Varys. A sly cunning curve was on the man's lips as he casually leaned on the doorframe without a care in the world. He was garbed in rather common looking attire, the sort one would find a merchant from Flea Bottom would wear.

"Who are you? How did you get past the guards?" Elia asked with rising panic in her voice. _Where was Ser Jaime?_

"Oh, Ser Jaime has more pressing matters to attend to at this moment," the man replied nonchalantly as if he had read her mind. "But rest assured, Princess Elia, I have not come to harm you or your children," he said with a disarming smile.

"Who are you? Why are you here in my chambers?" Elia then asked, hells she practically ordered the man.

"I am here because you need my help," the man replied with a sly smile. "And as to who I am, I am called Gaunter O'Dimm, or Master Mirror as I'm fond of," he said with a theatrical bow.

"Did the Spider send you?" Elia asked.

A cackle came Gaunter O'Dimm as he replied, "Oh please, Princess Elia, I am not in the eunuch's employ. I am simply a vagrant merchant who caters to the needs and desires of the desperate," he said.

"That doesn't explain why you're here in my chambers when Lannister soldiers will be upon us at any moment!" Elia snapped.

Master Mirror grinned at this. "I've told you, I am here because you need help, or do you not?" he asked.

"I…" Elia's words died on her lips and she looked at Rhaenys and Aegon. Rhaenys stared at Master Mirror in fearful fascination and Aegon had stopped whimpering. "I… I need help," Elia managed to say.

"All you had to do was say so," Master Mirror said smoothly. "Now, what is it you need help with?" he asked in a business-like tone.

"I want to save my children!" Elia blurted out as tears threatened to spill from her dark eyes and roll down her cheeks.

"You wish me to save you children," Master Mirror said rather than asked in a tone so gentle, Elia thought he actually cared. "I can help you with that," he declared.

"How?" Elia breathed.

"I will take them someplace far away so that the Usurper and his knives won't be able to reach them," replied Master Mirror. "Then once they are ready, your children will return," he then said.

"Do you swear it?" Elia asked as a single tear rolled down her cheek, hoping what Master Mirror said was true.

"I am honest businessman, Princess Elia," Master Mirror said firmly. "Your children will be strong enough to reclaim what is theirs," he promised.

"I shall permit you a moment with your children. This will be the last time you see them," Master Mirror then said. Elia looked at Rhaenys.

"Rhaenys, you and your brother must go with Master Mirror," Elia said to her daughter, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I don't wanna go!" Rhaenys wailed.

"I know, my darling, I know," Elia sobbed. "But know that I'll always love you and Aegon!" she said. "Now go!" she ordered sadly. Aegon had begun to cry as if knowing what was happening and Rhaenys began to weep.

Handing the crying Aegon to Master Mirror who smiled gently and took Rhaenys by the hand. Rhaenys threatened to pull away from the man but his grip was firm then in the blink of an eye, they were gone.

Elia blinked and her head turned to and fro to see where Master Mirror and her children had gone.

Then with a splintering crash, the door was broken down and stepping into the room was Gregor Clegane the Mountain That Rides and Ser Amory Lorch, Lord Lannister's loyal attack dogs.

Lorch looked around before he spoke, "Where are they?" he spat.

"Gone! Where you'll never find them!" Elia said in relief.

Gregor Clegane roared in displeasure as he grabbed Elia and threw to the floor before descending upon her, unbuckling his trousers as he did.

…

 **Kaer Morhen.**

A tiny bundle was laid in front of the doors to the keep of Kaer Morhen and Master Mirror smiled pleased with his work. Then rapping on the door twice, the sound reverberating into the night, Master Mirror turned and walked away.

A moment later, the keep doors cracked open to reveal a man with greying hair and viper eyes, wearing leather and chainmail armour and a medallion fashioned into a wolf's head hanging by a silver chain on his chest.

The man looked around before he noticed the small bundle lying on the ground. Picking up the bundle, the man's eyes widened slightly as the bundle stirred in his hands and the cries of a baby were heard.

"A baby?" the viper-eyed man muttered as he unwrapped the bundle to reveal a baby boy with pale skin and violet eyes and a tuft of pale silver hair on his head.

"Now, who would've levt you out here?" asked the man as he looked around and saw no-one.

Then footsteps were head and another man, younger albeit with pure white hair but possessed the same viper eyes as the greying man.

"Vesemir? It's almost midnight!" rasped the white-haired man. "What are you doing up so late?" he asked.

"Someone left a baby on our doorstep," replied the grey-haired man as he showed the infant to the white hair whose viper eyes widened at the sight of the infant's violet eyes.

"He has eyes just like Yen's," the white hair breathed.

"Aye, that he does," agreed the grey hair. "Question is: who would leave an infant on our doorstep?" he then mused.

"Did you see any tracks?" asked the white hair as he looked at the ground trying to find any footprints.

"No, not damn thing," replied the grey hair. "Maybe he got here by magic?" he suggested.

"Medallion isn't humming and neither is yours," the white hair pointed out. "Whoever left the child here didn't leave any tracks," he mused.

Then another voice, a feminine one was heard. "What's with all the bloody racket?" demanded the woman's voice and walking into view wearing a dark nighty was a breathtakingly beautiful woman with dark hair and violet eyes.

"See for yourself," replied the white hair and the grey hair held the stirring infant in his arms. The dark-haired woman's violet eyes widened into surprise as she saw the infant had eyes like her own.

"A baby! Here?" the woman asked as she eagerly took the struggling from the grey hair's arms and looked at the child in delight. "He's beautiful!" she beamed looking like a proud mother. "And he has the same eyes I do!" she cooed in excitement as she looked at the infant. The infant looked up at her and gave a happy gurgle.

"Who left him here?" the dark-haired woman then asked the grey and the white hair, both of whom shrugged. "Well, he's probably hungry, aren't you?" the woman asked the infant who gave a gummy smile.

"Well, seems you've taken it upon yourself to be the child's mother," the grey hair observed.

"And why should I not?" the dark-haired woman retorted. "It's not as if either know anything about raising a child!" she snapped angrily.

"And you do?" the white hair asked. The dark-haired woman only glared at him before turning on her heel and walked back into the keep.

"Come, little one, a nice cup of milk will do you some good, I think," the dark-haired woman said to the infant.

Both the grey and the white hair stared after the dark-haired woman. "Well, seems Yen has already decided to be the child's mother," the white hair commented.

"Seems she has," agreed the grey hair. "Can only guess what Yennefer's reaction may be if we start training the child," he then said.

A tiny shudder went through the white hair's body. "When he's older though," he managed to say. "He's too young right now," he pointed out. "And I don't want to have an argument with Yen over the boy's future," he muttered.

"Right you are, Geralt," said the grey hair as he closed the doors behind them and they headed back into the keep.

…

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED…**_

 **A/N: there, the prologue is done and dusted, and the stage is set. Now, if you're wondering where Rhaenys has gotten to, that'll be my little secret for now as I have some plans for her, so y'all have wait for when Rhaenys shows up in this story. The first chapter will probably be Aegon being raised at Kaer Morhen and being trained to be a Witcher and Ciri will show up as well and be trained alongside Aegon then we'll get to Aegon's adventures in the Witcher world. Now because I've only played the third game/Wild Hunt, I'm little unsure as to how the Witcher timeline goes and I've only just started to read the books which are pretty good, but I don't know the chronological order they're in, so if anyone does know the order the books are set, feel free to drop a PM telling so I can get the order right.**

 **And as usual, I've set up a voting poll on my profile showing a list of romance options for Aegon, so give your two cents on who you want Aegon to be with in terms of romance or leave a suggestion in a review.**

 **And if anyone is concerned over how Yennefer acted in this, she's always wanted children and has tried many times to have children of her own even though as a sorceress, she's infertile, so when Ciri was being raised at Kaer Morhen, Yennefer focussed all her motherly love on Ciri and since Aegon is a baby in this prologue, she'd be ecstatic to try raising a baby herself.**

 **And if anyone wants to know if Aegon will become a Witcher or simply have the skills of a Witcher like Ciri does, that'll be up to me personally as I do have ideas on how being a Witcher would impact Aegon and his story.**

 **So, that's about it from me, so leave a review if you liked what you read and if you didn't then don't bother.**

 **I'll see you all in the next chapter,**

 **Angry lil' elf.**


	2. Chapter 1: Life on the Path I

_**The Witcher: Fire & Blood**_

…

 _ **Chapter 1: Life on the Path I**_

On a beaten dirt path, a dark brown mare slowly trotted bearing its rider who wore a long black cloak with a hood over his head. Beneath the hood of the rider gleamed a pair of golden amber eyes with the pupils being vertical slits much like a cat or viper's eyes. Dangling from a silver chain was a medallion fashioned in the shape of a snarling wolf's head. A day's worth of stubble bristled on the man's jaw, the short silver-blonde bristles gleaming. The age of the rider was hard to determine, but appeared to be of fairly young age but the weather-beaten face added more years to that.

Looking up at the grey clouds, the rider sniffed the air briefly and muttered in a low voice. "Storm's coming," he said to himself quietly. Giving the mare a slightly kick, the rider urged his steed into a steady canter. The mare snorted softly as it cantered steadily along the dirt road. Passing through the wooded forest, birds cawed and croaked and the wind rustled the leaves of the trees, making the branches creak and groan in response. The rider's viper eyes glanced about as if trying to discern what may be hiding in the trees and bushes. Then coming to a bridge, the rider stopped his horse when he saw three individuals standing in front of the bridge. All three men were armed, one with a sword, the second with an axe and the third with a bow. Each of the men wore leather armour and the one with the sword wore a helmet on his head. The three men readied their weapons and the one with the axe called out to the rider.

"Halt!" he shouted. "This 'ere is our bridge, you gotta pay a toll to cross!" he declared with a sneer.

"And if I refuse?" asked the rider.

"Then we'll hang your guts on the trees as an offering to the gods!" spat the archer, drawing an arrow and nocking to his bow.

"And what if I don't have any money?" said the rider.

"Well, then we 'ave a little problem then, don't we?" said the swordsman.

The rider grimaced a little before sighing and dismounted his horse. Looking at his saddlebags, the rider pulled out a sword. The sword did not look to be any ordinary sword; the blade was dark and smoky and rippled with a thousand folds and the hilt and crossguard were of darker colour and the ends of the guard were fashioned into dragon heads. The pommel was in the shape of a dragon as well bearing its fangs. Studded into the centre of the guard on one side was a gleaming faceted ruby.

The sword caught the eyes of the three men. They gripped their weapons tightly, but there was a look of greed in their eyes.

"Hey, friend, you give us that there sword of yours, and we'll let you pass!" the swordsman offered.

"And if I refuse?" asked the rider as he held his sword in a low stance.

"Then we'll take it from your corpse!" said the axeman holding his weapon ready.

The rider hummed before lowering his hood, revealing his features. Upon seeing the man's eyes, a look of fear passed over the three men and one of them spoke a word as though it were vile poison.

"Witcher!"

The Witcher gave a brief smile and said to the them, "Draco of Maribor. Wolf School," he introduced himself. "So now that we've established that, what was it about a toll to cross the bridge?" he asked conversationally.

"We should let 'im pass!" whispered the axeman. "Plowing freak could kills us all without breaking a sweat!" he said fearfully.

"There's only one of him!" spat the swordsman. "He can't be that good with a sword anyway!" he then said.

"Yeah, I'll stick an arrer in his gob 'fore he even gets close!" boasted the archer.

"No, I'm getting outta 'ere! You'll get yerselves killed fighting a mutant like 'im!" said the axeman, throwing down his axe and running out.

"Oi! Git back 'ere! Coward!" yelled the swordsman at his fleeing comrade.

The Witcher then said, "Seems you're down a man," he remarked. "You're welcome to flee if you'd like, and perhaps rethink your career," he suggested.

"Smug bastard!" the archer snarled before pulling back his bowstring and fired the arrow nocked to the string. With a sharp twang and hiss, the arrow soared towards the Witcher who easily and almost apathetically slapped the missile out of the air with the blade of his sword. The arrow clattered to the ground harmlessly.

"Wh-what?! Now fucking way!" spluttered the archer as he fumbled for another arrow. The swordsman growled as he stepped towards the Witcher who stood unmoving. The archer fired another arrow at the Witcher who once again slapped the arrow out of the air with his sword. By then, the swordsman had closed the distance and swung his sword in both hands in a downward strike. The Witcher shoved the man back with a kick, causing the man to stumble backwards and fall flat on his arse to the ground. The swordsman grunted in pain and clutched his bruised chest. The archer fired another arrow at the Witcher who simply sidestepped the missile before thrusting his offhand out in a strange gesture. A flash of light and ripple of blue tinted air shot out from the Witcher's hand and knocked the archer to the ground and making his bow fly out of his hands. The swordsman had gotten back onto his feet and tried to charge at the Witcher who thrust his sword towards the man who barely managed to stop in time. The tip of the sword was hovering just mere millimetres from the man's throat. The swordsman's Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he nervously swallowed a lump in his throat. The Witcher narrowed his viper eyes before lowering his sword and the swordsman sighed in relief but a quick punch to his temple from the Witcher knocked him out cold. The Witcher then looked at the archer who looked at him fearfully.

"Please, kind sir! Do-Don't kill me!" the archer begged, sweat pouring down his brow.

The Witcher hummed softly before saying, "I won't." he said. "But I cross paths with you and your friends again, I will kill you," he added. "Now take your friend and leave, before I change my mind," he ordered.

"Yessir! Right away!" The archer scrambled to his feet and began to pull his unconscious comrade away. The Witcher watched them before going back to his horse and stroked the mare's nose gently. The mare looked at him with calm brown eyes and snorted softly.

"Should I have killed them?" the Witcher asked the mare who whickered and pawed the ground with one hoof. "No sense in killing those who don't have much, and they didn't look to have much either way," the Witcher said. The mare gave another snort and shook its head, its mane of hair flying about as it did so.

"Perhaps," the Witcher said, nodding his head slightly. "But maybe now, they'll think twice about being bandits," he added.

The mare gave a short neigh and pawed the ground again. "And you would know, would you?" the Witcher said in amusement. "Well, I can sense I'm not going to win this argument, so let's just get out of here and head for the next village," he added and the mare nodded its head in agreement. Mounting the horse, the Witcher clicked his tongue and the mare then trotted along the bridge, leaving it behind. As the clouds began to spit droplets of rain down onto the earth, the Witcher pulled his hood back over his head and sheathed his sword back into the saddlebags.

…

As the sky began to darken, the rain grew heavier, but sure enough the Witcher and his horse soon reached a village. The torches of the village walls flickered in the darkening atmosphere, hissing slightly as drops of rain hit the burning heads of the torches. Some of the villagers were already heading to their homes or the local inn after a hard day in the fields. Some of the villagers noted the new arrival and while some of them watched him warily, they paid him no mind.

Reaching the inn, the Witcher dismounted his horse and tied the reins to the hitching post and dug out an apple from the saddlebags and held it up to the mare' mouth. The mare plucked the apple from the Witcher's hand and munched on it, making noises of pleasure as it did so. Entering the inn, the Witcher was greeted with the warmth the inn provided as a fire crackled in the large hearth and the chatter of the locals filled the room as they drank away the toils of the day. The Witcher walked up to the bar, and dug out an oren from his satchel and placed it on the bench. "A pint of stout, if you have any," he said. The barkeep swept up the coin into his palm before pulling out a jug and sloshed some deep drown liquid into a pint and placed the pint in front of the Witcher. The Witcher took the pint and took a deep draught of the drink. Sighing to himself and wiping his mouth with one hand, the Witcher relaxed slightly and glanced around cautiously.

The barkeep then spoke, "Excuse me, sir, but am I right in thinking you're a Stoneman?" he asked nervously.

"A Witcher? Yes, what of it?" the Witcher replied looking at the barkeep who quailed slightly under the amber gaze.

"I don't have nothing against your kind! A witcher saved me life from a nest of nekkers once! Didn't ask for any coin, nor invoke the Law of Surprise," the barkeep said.

"Wasn't a very good witcher then," the Witcher said. "Witchers don't work for free," he added stoically.

"I know people say Witchers don't have a heart, but I know this one did," said the barkeep.

"There a reason you're talking to me?" the Witcher then asked.

"Well, I was just curious, is all," replied the barkeep wringing his hands a little. "There's been some trouble hereabouts," he said.

"What kind of trouble?" asked the Witcher as he took another pull of his pint.

"Well, we got a nest of monsters not far from 'ere," replied the barkeep. "And further up from here, a local lord has put out a contract for a spook plaguing his lands," he said.

"What nest of monsters are we talking about?" the Witcher asked.

"Dunno. Have to ask the ealdorman who put up the contract," said the barkeep. "His house ain't far from here. He'd tell ye more about it," he added.

"And what about this spook plaguing the lord's lands?" the Witcher then asked.

"Haven't heard much, but one thing I did hear were that it were some sort of headless ghost, taking off folk's heads," replied the barkeep.

"A headless ghost?" said the Witcher in interest. "Interesting," he muttered. Finishing off his pint, the Witcher said, "I'll see what I can do about this monster nest, then I'll go see about this headless spook."

"Many thanks, Witcher," replied the barkeep.

"You can thank me later when I take care of this monster nest," replied the Witcher as he left the inn and headed for the ealdorman's house.

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED…**_

 **A/N: There! After a year or more of waiting, I finally updated this story. I apologise this chapter was so short, but at least I got something out, didn't I? So this chapter, Life on the Path could be separated into different parts in between other chapters/arcs as Draco of Maribor/Witcher!Aegon dealing with life on the Path as a Witcher. Bits of Draco/Aegon's childhood will be in short segments in dialogue of characters asking about Draco's life growing up at Kaer Morhen to give everyone an idea of what kind of person Draco/Aegon is and his life with Geralt, Yennefer, Ciri, Triss and all the rest.**

 **So the next chapter will be the start of the Headless Ghost arc. Still trying to come up with a name for that arc, so if anyone has any suggestions, I'll gladly take them. And if you're curious about why I've chosen a headless ghost, well the arc takes inspiration from the classic American folklore tale, The Headless Horseman/Sleep Hollow. Given that the Witcher novels/short stories were deconstructions of classic fairy tales, I thought Sleep Hollow would be a fitting one to use.**

 **Other than that, I haven't got much more to say, so I'll just leave this here and I'll see you all next time.**

 **Be kind to one another,**

 **Angry lil' elf.**


	3. Clean as Dandelions I

**The Witcher: Fire & Blood**

 _ **Clean as Dandelions Part I.**_

Draco left the village a day later, his purse a hundred orens heavier than before. The monster nest hadn't been too difficult, and the coin was certainly appreciated. After his business was concluded, Draco then set out for the next village to see about the headless spook lopping off people's heads. Draco had asked the ealdorman about the spook, but the man didn't know much other than the victims had all been somewhat prominent members of the village and had all been killed within a fortnight. The man who had posted the contract was one Lord Van Tassell.

The Witcher's first thought was that the spook was simply a serial killer killing off prominent members of the village for some reason. Possibly clearing the way to an inheritance, but Draco decided to look into the matter anyway. A hundred orens would last him a good while, but more money was certainly welcome in his purse. If anything, there may be some contracts in the village for some monsters in the area that needed clearing out.

The ride to the village was uneventful, and soon the Witcher reached the village called Slumbering Hollow. As the Witcher entered the village, he could see that people looked fearful and many of the cottages and houses had holy symbols painted on them. Most of the symbols were that of the Church of Eternal Fire which had the Witcher inwardly grimacing; if a spook truly was plaguing this village, they were better off hiring a Witcher rather than reciting the utter bigoted hogwash the Church of Eternal Fire spouted.

Draco kept his hood up. He didn't want to chance things by having a mob of Eternal Fire worshippers coming after him with pitchforks and torches to either hang him or burn him on a pyre. The Witcher did stop one of the villagers to ask where Lord Van Tassel was. Being directed to the Northern end of town, Draco soon sighted a large looking manor with light spilling from the windows.

As the Witcher approached the manor, the lights and sounds of a party within reaching the Witcher's senses. Dismounting his horse and walking up the steps to the front door, the Wolf spied in the shadows a middle-aged man and a young comely looking woman fornicating. Ignoring the coupling pair, Draco knocked on the fronts doors and was greeted by a serving girl who ushered the Witcher inside.

A party was indeed going on; tables laden with food and drink were laid out in the large spacious room and decorations hung from the walls. A roaring fire was in the hearth, blazing merrily bringing warmth into the room. A troupe of musicians were playing a lively and merry tune on their instruments. Guests were mingling and conversing with one another and young children all ran around the room giggling and playing. A few of the guests spied Draco with his hood on and the sword on his back and their gaze was curious at the stranger, but they paid him no mind. Walking through the room, the Wolf soon came across a ring of young men circling a pretty young woman who was blindfolded singing a song and obviously trying to latch onto one of the men as they circled around her.

"The picketey witch, the picketey witch! Who's got a kiss for the picketey witch?" the young woman sang. Draco cut his way through the circle to walk past, but the blindfolded girl latched onto him. "Is it Theolonius?" she asked in confusion, touching the Witcher's face.

"No. I am a stranger here," Draco said to the girl.

"Then have a kiss on account," said the young woman and she pressed a kiss to the Witcher's cheek. A young handsome man standing behind the Wolf looked rather annoyed. The young woman removed her blindfold and her demure blue eyes looked at the hooded Wolf in surprise.

"I'm looking for Lord Van Tassel," the Witcher stated.

"I am his daughter, Katarina Van Tassel," replied the young woman with a curtsy.

The handsome youth behind Draco spoke, "And who are you, sir? We have not yet heard your name," he grunted.

"I did not give it," Draco said softly before excusing himself quietly, but the youth grabbed him by the arm and spat, "You need some manners!" he growled. Within an instant, Draco grabbed the man's wrist and twisted suddenly making him cry out in pain as his wrist was being twisted at an awkward angle. With his free hand, the Witcher lowered his hood revealing his pale skin, silver-blonde hair and golden-amber viper eyes. He also pulled out his Witcher medallion, the snarling wolf's head.

The Wolf looked at the youth he had at his mercy and said to him, "You see these?" he asked the youth indicating his viper eyes and medallion. "Do you know what they mean and what I am?" he further asked. The youth looked at the Wolf's eyes and medallion, his brown eyes widening in alarm and the other men all realised who or what was standing before them. The musicians all stopped playing and everyone seemed to back away in fear.

Then a middle-aged man wearing fine clothing with a beautiful woman on his arm entered the room. "Come, come, we'll have no trouble here, it is only good cheer for these dark times that my wife and I are throwing this little party," the man said jovially and he looked at the Witcher who had released the youth. "Young sir, you are most welcome, even if you are selling something," he added.

Draco looked at the middle-aged man and said to him, "Draco of Maribor. Witcher. I'm here about the notice," he stated pulling out from his satchel a piece of parchment.

The middle-aged man's wife spoke, "Then our town is most grateful you've come, Master Witcher," she said softly. "We hope you would honour us by staying in our household?" she asked.

"Well spoke, my dear," her husband complimented before he looked at the Witcher and said to him, "Come, good sir, we'll get you settled," he said before looking at the musicians and bade them to play on.

…

Draco was shown into the guest room by a serving girl. The Witcher laid his equipment out on the table in the room. Everything from his sword, his potions, bombs and traps to his surgical tools was arrayed meticulously on the table in front of him. The Witcher looked at the serving girl and said to her softly. "Thank you. Tell Lord Van Tassel I will see him shortly."

"Yes, master Witcher," said the serving girl as she turned to leave the room, but she stopped to look at the Witcher and said to him, "Thank the Gods you've come!" The Witcher looked at the girl who then left the room without another word.

Leaving the guest room, the Witcher was shown to the parlour where Lord Van Tassel awaited him. Entering the room, Draco saw that Lord Van Tassel was accompanied by four other men. The village elders no doubt, the Witcher thought to himself as he entered the room.

"Ah, there you are, Master Witcher," Lord Van Tassel said with a cheery smile. "Might I interest you in some refreshments?" he offered.

"Like to get down to business first," replied Draco brusquely. "For starters, I'd like to know your name," he said pointedly looking at the man who nodded and said.

"Of course, introductions are needed. With us are Magistrate Phillipse." A large rotund man sat at a chair pouring the contents of a hip flask into a cup of tea. "Reverend Steenwyck who leads our Faith here." A tall man with ginger hair wearing the robes of an Eternal Fire priest sneered at Draco who looked back at him impassively. "Our town physician, Doctor Lancaster who was educated at Oxenfurt University." A middle-aged man with a horseshoe ring of hair gave a nervous nod at the Witcher. "And this fine fellow here, is our town scribe Notary Hardenbrook." A withered looking elderly man with a milky white eye stared at Draco.

"And you are Lord Van Tassel?" Draco looked at Lord Van Tassel.

"Oh, I'm not truly a lord," Lord Van Tassel admitted modestly. "I am simply a farmer who has prospered. The town looks to me as friend and counsel," he said.

"And landlord, and banker," said Magistrate Phillipse cuttingly. "Can we proceed?" he asked cantankerously.

The Witcher looked at the village elders and walked slowly around the room. "From what I read of the notice and heard was that within two weeks, three people of this village were found dead. The first victim was?" he asked looking at Van Tassel who said, "Old Man Van Garrett."

Draco nodded. "He was found in a cornfield decapitated. The next victim?"

"Old Man Van Garrett's son, Van Garrett Junior."

"He was found a few days later, also decapitated," Draco said as he paced around the room. "The third victim was a woman, a widow by the name of Winship. Also decapitated." Now standing in front of the village elders, the Witcher looked at them and asked, "So, what makes this Witcher work? For all you know it could be the work of a deranged serial killer."

The village elders looked at each other before Van Tassel looked at the Witcher. "How much do you know of this village's history?" he asked.

"Very little, I will admit that much," said the Witcher.

"Many years ago, during one of the many invasion attempts by Nilfgaard, this village was beset by an detachment from Nilfgaard. Leading those men was a knight, but unlike his countrymen who came to conquer the Northern Realms, the Knight came for a love of carnage and slaughter," said Van Tassel.

"He rode a giant black steed named Daredevil, and he was infamous for riding his horse hard into battle, chopping off heads at full gallop. To add to the ferocity of his appearance, he filed his teeth down to sharp points."

"This butcher did not meet his end until the Nilfgaard Empire was turned back and defeated. The Knight was pursued by Nordling soldiers who tracked him down to the Western Woods, not far from here. It was a fierce struggled, but in the end, they decapitated the Knight with his own sword and buried him where he fell. But even today, the Westerns Woods is a haunted place, where brave men will not venture for what was buried in the ground that day was a seed of evil."

"And now the Niflgaardian awakes, chopping off heads where he finds them. We've lived in fear ever since," Van Tassel said gravely.

Draco looked at the town elders who all had fearful looks on their faces. "And you believe this Nilfgaardian has truly returned from the grave?" he asked them

Notary Hardenbrook leaned forward in his chair and said, "Seeing is believing."

The Witcher hummed softly, thinking to himself if this was merely superstition talking and someone taking advantage of people. Reverend Steenwyck then spoke, "I still do not understand why we have chosen to hire a mutant, when our faith in the Eternal Fire will protect us," he said with a sneer on his face. "But, I will say this to you, mutant. You may be knowledgeable on all manner of ghouls and wraiths, but this is something I recommend you read," he stated placing a large tome on the table. The table shook slightly under the hefty weight of the tome. The Witcher looked at book and saw that was a book of the Eternal Fire. Opening it, the Witcher saw the drawing of a family tree, two prominent names being Van Garrett and Van Tassel.

Not giving the book another glance, Draco looked at the elders and said, "I will need to examine the spots where the victims were found." Looking at Doctor Lancaster, the Witcher asked him, "Do you still have the bodies?" he asked.

"I do, but they have already been buried," Doctor Lancaster replied, shrinking a little under the stare of the Witcher's eyes.

"I will need to examine the bodies regardless," said the Witcher.

"What is it you hope to learn from the bodies?" Phillipse asked.

"Clues as to what matter of creature it is I face," said the Witcher. "Such clues will tell me if this is Witcher work or not," he added.

"Of course, we would not want to waste your time," Van Tassel said nervously.

"We'll find out, won't we?" replied Draco as he prepared to leave the room. "Now if you'll excuse me, I wish to retire for the night. Is there a place I may wash up?" he asked.

"The town baths, it's just down the road from here," replied Van Tassel. Draco nodded his thanks and left.

…

Draco entered the town baths. The scent of soaps and oils filled the steaming air and the sounds of water rippling and splashing along with the pants and moans of the customers and hostesses echoed through the air. Draco surmised that the Baths also functioned as something akin to a brothel for the town and he spied more than a few pretty girls with comely figures wandering around in various stages of undress tending to the needs and whims of the clientele.

"A Witcher in my bathhouse?!" The madam exclaimed in awe. "Well, I shan't turn away a good customer, and this will make a tale to tell for a while," she said. "Come this way, Master," she added.

Draco was shown to a private room that was filled with steam as the bath was drawn and hot coals heated the bath.

"Interesting to see a town like this has its own bath," Draco remarked dryly.

"A cunning woman found the waters beneath this place and directed us how to draw on them," said the madam. "It's brought quite a bit of business our way, but with this horrid spook wandering around, scaring away customers and travellers? Tis a nightmare!" she exclaimed.

"Well, in any case, I could do with a good bath," Draco said as he stripped off his gambeson and gauntlets and toed off his boots.

"Of course, master. If you need anything else, let us know," the madam said as she bowed out of the room, closing the door as she did so.

Slipping off his trousers and smallclothes, Draco stepped into the hot waters of the bath. Scrubbing off the sweat and grime from the trail, the Witcher allowed his muscles to loosen and relax.

The door then creaked open and the Witcher looked to see two young women, each of them quite pretty with comely bodies and both of them naked. "Do you require anything, Master Witcher?" the first one, a pretty redhead with lips painted dark red asked.

"Not especially," Draco replied. "But I suppose I could do with a little conversation," he said casually.

The second girl, a blonde with green eyes, nodded her head eagerly. "Of course, Master Witcher, we can speak of anything you like us to," she said.

"I can't promise the same, but may as well join me if you're already here," the Witcher said.

The two girls eagerly climbed into the bath with the Witcher. The redhead introduced herself. "I'm Tekla, and she's Issa," she said. "We're to be candid with our guests, and you seem to be one, so I will tell you that Issa doesn't bathe with men, but I certainly do," she added.

Issa the blonde then said, "She's right, I don't. But I am willing to scrub your back." She moved around to softly embrace the Witcher from behind. The Witcher did not react, he simply looked at the two women.

Tekla then spoke, "So you're here to slay the spook? The thing that killed Old Man Van Garrett, Junior and the widow?" she asked. "Is it even a spook?" she then asked.

"That's what I'm here to find out," replied Draco. Looking at the two girls he asked, "Seems like you two know a bit about everyone in this village? Anything interesting you can tell me?"

"What would you like to know?" Issa asked.

"Van Tassel, he's not really a lord is he?"

"Not by blood nor birthright, he isn't," said Tekla. "He was a simple farmer in the beginning when he and his family moved here. Was given a spit of land by Old Man Van Garrett, but he worked hard and he got really rich. One of, or perhaps now the richest man in these parts," she added.

"And his daughter?" the Witcher asked.

"A sweet young lady, comes here sometimes to help us lasses learn to read and write," Issa said. "But rumour has it, she practices magic in secret," she added. "Can you do magic?" she asked the Witcher eagerly.

"All Witchers can," replied Draco. "But we're not mages or sorcerers," he said.

"What magic can you do?"

Draco grunted before raising a hand out of the water and wiggled his fingers and the candles went out, enveloping the room in darkness. The two girls gave a noise of awe and Draco wiggled his fingers again and the candles were lit again.

"What else can you do?" Tekla asked in excitement.

"A few other things, but none fit for conversation," the Witcher said. "Anything else you can tell me about Van Tassel and his family?" he enquired.

"Well, Katarina is the apple of nearly every village lad's eye," said Issa. "Her best suitor is Brom Bones, big rowdy lout and the local hunter of the village," she added.

"And what about Katarina's mother?"

"She's dead," said Tekla.

"Dead? So Van Tassel remarried?"

Issa nodded and said, "Aye, when Katarina's mother sickened and died, it weren't long til he married his wife's nurse who's now Lady of the Van Tassel house."

"What can you tell me about her?" asked the Witcher.

"Don't know. She's not from around, yet I feel like she was," said Tekla. "What about you? Where are you from?" she asked sweetly.

"Don't know," said the Witcher. "I was found as a babe on the doorstep of Kaer Morhen, home of the Wolf School Witchers," he added.

"Oh, we're sorry to hear that," Tekla said softly. "Don't even know your parents?" she asked.

"No. Only my baby blanket was the clue I have to my family, and no-one I've asked knows," replied Draco.

"We're sorry to hear that, master Witcher," Issa said sincerely. "Anything we can do to cheer you up?" she asked suggestively as her hand drifted down the Witcher's torso slipping into the water. Draco shifted a little as he felt what the girl was doing to him, but he calmed himself and said, "You can tell me more about the town elders."

"Well, Reverend Steenwyck isn't as virtuous as he has everyone believe," Tekla said in a hushed whisper. "Comes here everyone week to carouse with some of us girls, taking confessions if you will," she added.

"Typical Eternal Fire Priest then," Draco muttered.

"Rightly so, but I've heard Witchers can be just as debauched," Issa said with a lewd grin. Draco grunted as he felt the girl's hands on him. Tekla moved closer to the Witcher, practically sitting on his lap.

"What about Doctor Lancaster? Anything you can tell me about him?" the Witcher asked.

"Well, there's rumours he's having an affair with some girl in town," replied Tekla. "Don't blame him. His wife's a shrivelled up prune!" she giggled.

"You'll be a shrivelled up prune one day too, you know?" Issa laughed.

"So will you!"

"Ladies, please focus," Draco said to them. "Hardenbrook, anything interesting about him?" he asked.

"Nothing noteworthy. He's an old man, not long for this world," Issa replied with a shrug.

"And what about the Magistrate?"

"A drunk half the time, but he does alright work as the town magistrate," Tekla said. "Is there anything we can do for you? Anything?" she asked, leaning into the Witcher.

"Are you both propositioning me?"

"Well, we've always been curious about Witchers," Issa said. "And we're to be candid with guests, and you're a guest," she added.

Draco looked at the two girls who had hopeful eager smiles before saying, "Hmm… well, since we're to be candid," he said. Tekla took this as an invitation and pressed her lips firmly to the Witchers.

The next hour was filled with pants and moans as Issa and Tekla had their curiosity about Witchers satisfied. Many, many times. And suffice to say, both girls were very satisfied at what they learnt about Witchers.

…

 _ **TO BE CONTINUED…**_

 **A/N: There! The first part of this Sleepy Hollow arc is done and dusted! I hope you all enjoyed it. And I hope the title I've given this arc was satisfying, if in a cheesy corny way, but since no-one gave me suggestions, I had to make one up.**

 **In the next part of this arc, we'll see Draco put his detective hat on as he examines the areas where the victims were found, and determine what sort of monster/spook is troubling Slumbering Hollow.**

 **In other news, I'm going to write up a Fable/Game of Thrones crossover of Aegon/Young Griff in Fable 3 and I've got some ideas of how to do it. As per usual, I've set up a romance poll on my profile for that story, so feel free to put in your vote.**

 **And I've also gotten the idea of a Resident Evil/Highschool of the Dead crossover in my head. Now the ones I've seen aren't exactly to my taste, but my one will differ in that I would use a character that hasn't been in any other Resident Evil game beyond RE3. Which one you ask? None other than Carlos Olivera, the former Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service mercenary who teamed up with Jill Valentine in the Raccoon City Outbreak. I kinda always liked Carlos and I felt that it was criminal that he wasn't in any other Resident Evil games, so I thought to myself why not use him? Give him the spotlight for a change? But that story may be a while off yet, at least until I write and publish my Fable/Game of Thrones idea, if I ever do sit down to write it.**

 **And that's about the sum total of things, so I'll just leave this here and I'll see you all in the next one.**

 **Be kind to one another,**

 **Angry lil' elf.**


End file.
